Four Days – Four Decants - A Few Thoughts 🔥

Huge shout out to our brother,

, for the generous samples of Aaron Terence Hughes Hombre, Amouage Interlude 53, and Amouage Jubilation XXV! I also ordered Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Grand Soir recently and spent time with all four this past week.

Some initial impressions:

Aaron Terence Hughes Hombre: This is my first experience with an ATH fragrance and it did not disappoint. Hombre lands right between Terre d’Hermes Parfum and Roja's Isola Blu; so much so, that it could come off as a clone at first sniff. The difference is the quality of the ingredients and the pronounced performance. Both TDH and Isola Blu sit close to my skin while offering mediocre performance (at best). Hombre actually radiates and projects off my skin while lasting most of the day. If you like TDH-type/vetiver fragrances, this is a must try. I’m excited to try more from ATH and am on the notification list for restocks on his site. I foresee a huge ATH haul in my future. 🤦‍♂️

Amouage Interlude 53: I thought I had a few “beast mode” fragrances in my collection … until I tried this one. Interlude 53 is a SAVAGE. I was a little worried when I saw the oregano and pimento notes in the breakdown, but what you get is smoke and amber perfection. The first sprays made my eyes water because I buried my nose in my forearm to smell it (yeah, don’t do that, Lol). It’s STRONG and you only need a few sprays. Excellent quality; monster performance. Excited to try Interlude Blue Iris next, which arrives from Steve later this week.

Amouage Jubilation XXV: This one is challenging for me. All I am picking up is church-like incense and the Fourth of July type smell you get after lighting a bunch of sparklers. And, the performance is surprisingly lackluster for an Amouage. However, people with noses that I trust love this one, and the reviews I see for both Jubilation XXV and Jubilation 40 are strong, so I am going to be spending more time getting to know this one.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir: I can’t remember which YouTuber described this as an “orange cloud” but it is spot on. You get lots of amber, vanilla, orange, cedar, and musk, and the blend is phenomenal. I immediately put this in date night rotation with Clive Christian Blonde Amber, PDM Layton Exclusif, and Hugo Boss Bottled Absolu. Amazing stuff.

Samples coming this week include Xerjoff Alexandria II, Xerjoff Tony Iommi Deified, Amouage Interlude Black Iris, Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum, and Filippo Socinelli Opus 1144.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas!

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